Educate rather than incarcerate

For so long there has been much talk about overcrowded prisons, and new prisons built here or on the mainland, and trying to rehabilitate nonviolent first offenders. Then there’s the homeless, the folks on welfare, the widows, addicts, orphans, foster kids, runaways and kids who need a second chance. Then, last but not least, how do we deal with kids who have lost their motivation and direction?

How long will we ponder these important issues without resolve, and how many more lost souls will die before we do something?

There is an answer to this complex, diverse situation of finally dealing with the unwanted. It’s very simple and its roots are founded in two words: education and hope. We need to create a live-in community, a self-sustaining family environment that has everything needed to raise our students and find their God-given gifts and pursue those gifts, whatever they may be.

This needs to be set up as a minimum-security ranch with enough room to expand and build everything we need to live and teach our students how to enjoy working together in a comfortable, safe and caring environment.

We will build a university of the trades that teaches every trade we can find teachers for. Once we find our students’ gifts, we will pursue each one and try to fit them together with a lifetime trade or profession that they can use to make their own money for life.

We will have our own homeschool and every kid will need to graduate before he moves on into the world. Along with school, they will begin to learn a trade, or go on to college with scholarships or grants.

This ranch will be run like a large family operation. We will have classes on anger management; having love and respect for each other; addiction to drugs and alcohol; handling money; sports; cooking; cleaning; fishing; gardening; computers; carpentry; masonry; plumbing; painting; electrical; tile setting; cabinet-building; landscaping, etc.

Our goal is to take on as many kids as we can handle and equip them with everything they need to get a good start in life. I have spoken to lawyers, judges, congressmen, mayors and many others, who all believe in this concept.

In fact, there are many of these now, but on a much smaller scale. It’s much better to find a persons’ gifts and teach them a trade, than to lock them up and support them. Changing lives and lifestyles would be one of our main concerns.

Do we really want to deal with this on-going problem once and for all, or do we want to keep dancing around it? It’s financially sound from a business point of view and has the OK in the political arena. The only thing holding it back is getting enough people involved to see it through.

I have had this vision for more than 10 years but I think now is the time to move ahead and begin to solve this problem. This will create many jobs, as time goes on.

This is a huge undertaking and it will require many dedicated folks who are willing to give a little of their time and expertise. At some point, there will be a core group who gets paid for their time. They will ultimately live there and become the nucleus. I’m going to set up a time we can get together at Yano Hall across from the Manago Hotel in Captain Cook. I will let readers know when it will be after they contact me.

Please, let’s finally come together and create the first one-of-a-kind answer to this very important and complex problem. Tens of thousands of kids really need us to make this happen.

There are so many families all across the country that have been torn apart by drugs, alcohol and lack of work and finances, to name a few. It’s very sad.

Who pays the most for addiction and broken homes? The children, of course. Giving them a safe place to grow, with other kids of a similar background, and with lots of love and understanding, should create wonderful people — who become great members of society.

Call me at 939-7055 or contact me via email: lnye44@yahoo.com.

Laurence R. Nye is a Captain Cook resident.